


Wish You Were Here

by QueenOfAllCorgis



Series: Fly Away, Fly Away, Far Away [6]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, Queen (Band)
Genre: Ben and Gwil are pining HARD, Discrimination, Joe has a potty mouth, M/M, angel!Ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21841567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfAllCorgis/pseuds/QueenOfAllCorgis
Summary: Ben put his heart and soul into Bohemian Rhapsody, knowing that it was the role of a lifetime. Still, he wasn't surprised that he wasn't invited on the press tour. He knew that he wasn't considered a true member of the cast and he had accepted it.His cast mates disagreed.
Relationships: Ben Hardy/Gwilym Lee
Series: Fly Away, Fly Away, Far Away [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1474874
Comments: 27
Kudos: 134





	Wish You Were Here

1:00pm

The first interview on the press tour was scheduled to start at 1:00pm. A ball formed in Ben’s throat as he watched the time switch over and he tossed his phone onto his comforter, closing his eyes tightly. The interview for the movie he was in had started and he wasn’t there.

He hadn’t even been invited.

The press tour manager Trevor had given him a patronizing smile and explained how it just wasn’t possible for him to go on the tour with them. They would be going to some locations where angels still weren’t permitted and apparently there was a huge insurance cost on the company if angels came.

So, he had been left behind in London when everyone else went to Boston.

The thought made tears burn in his eyes and he let out a shaky breath. It should be something he was used to. Ben had spent his whole life being told he couldn’t do the things he wanted. But now…now it hurt. It was like he had been given a taste of what could be and had it snatched away.

For the first time in his life he had thought that he had finally gotten what he deserved. Years and years of clawing his way out of the pit he had been forced into because of what he was and he had fucking earned a place on the damn tour. Still, Ben just had to watch as everything he earned was yanked away from him.

His phone rang at 1:03pm.

Ben grabbed the phone and held it up to see the goofy picture Joe had set for himself. Confused, he just stared for a moment and then answered the call. “Hello?”

“THIS IS SOME KIND OF FUCKING BULLSHIT!”

The shriek was so sudden and loud that Ben pulled the phone away in surprise. “Joe?”

“We’ve been sitting here waiting for you to get here! That fucking asshat Trevor said that maybe your plane was delayed and blah, blah, blah,” Joe snarled, sounding angrier than Ben had ever heard him. “And it took us for-fucking-ever to get our heads out of our asses and realize that he was LYING.”

“Yeah…he told me that I wasn’t invited…I guess that it would be too much of a hassle,” he murmured and Joe let out a huff.

“A hassle. You’re part of the fucking movie. You play a fourth of Queen!” Someone said something in the background of the call and Joe spat out a series of curses before returning to the call. “You’re so damn important to this movie. You’re part of the fucking family and they just toss you outside? Why the hell didn’t you say anything to us?”

At that Ben paused, feeling his throat go tight and his cheeks burn. “I…I thought that you all would agree with him…”

Silence.

“Oh…oh Ben,” the anger was gone and now Joe just sounded _devastated_. “Ben…you really think that? You think that I wouldn’t want you here with us? That Rami wouldn’t? Gwil?”

He stared down at his comforter, picking at a stray thread. Nothing seemed right to say…nothing truly voiced the lingering fear and anxiety he felt bubbling in his chest.

“We want you here. We love you Ben.” Joe said softly and tears spilled over his cheeks. “If we had known that you weren’t coming we never would have gone. We’ll go home now, we’re not staying with this…sham of a tour.”

“No!” Ben choked out, scrubbing at his face. “You can’t! The tour is too important!”

“So are you! This is pure discrimination. Brian and Roger are going to have a fucking fit,” Joe grumbled. “You deserve to be here. Where does it end? Are they not letting you go to award shows either? That’s bullshit.”

“I haven’t talked with him about-“

“Because you’re my Oscars date baby. You and me and the Cheetos we drunkenly get at 7-11 afterwards,” a laugh bubbled from Ben’s chest and he pressed a hand to his mouth. “I’m so sorry this happened. It’s not fair.”

“No, it isn’t,” Ben whispered. “But I’m used to it.”

“…that’s what’s breaking my heart. You shouldn’t be used to it. After everything that Queen did and all the laws that were changed, this shouldn’t still happen,” he sighed and Ben clutched the phone a bit tighter. “It’s bullshit.”

“Yeah. It is.”

There was a pause for a moment before Joe let out an explosive sigh. “They’re calling me over. Trevor basically ran for the hills though…I think Gwil scared him off. That dude is terrifying when he’s mad.”

“Gwil was mad?”

“Of fucking course. I bet he was looking forward to sharing hotel rooms and cramped dressing rooms,” Joe teased and Ben felt his cheeks burn brighter than ever. “Aw, it would be like a fanfiction.”

“You read fanfiction?” Ben giggled.

“Um, I have to keep up to date on my Twilight fanfic. I mean, what would happen if Edward was a sexy doctor and Bella had cancer?” The older man whined and Ben laughed loudly. “I want to see how his magic penis cures her.”

“Send me the link, yeah?” Ben grinned, leaning against his headboard.

“Of course…he was mad though. We all were,” Joe said softly. “And we’re not going to let them completely erase you. Hell, we’ll talk about you nonstop and what bullshit it is that you aren’t here.”

“Don’t get in trouble.”

“We’ll be subtle,” there was enough mischief in Joe’s voice that Ben felt a bit worried. “I’ll talk to you soon?”

“Yeah…thanks Joe,” Ben smiled.

“Bye buddy!”

As soon as the phone call ended Ben held it to his chest and let himself cry. His friends actually cared. He had friends who loved him and wanted him to be a part of their tour. The anxiety and fear that had lingered for so long lifted, making him almost dizzy with relief.

His phone buzzed and he wiped his eyes, looking at the slightly blurry screen.

_From Gwilym: It’s dumb that you’re not here. It’s dumb that I don’t get to see your face. It’s dumb that I have to miss you._

A laugh surprised him and he grinned down at his phone, tapping out a reply. _It is dumb. Have fun for me!_

Seconds passed before another reply buzzed in his phone.

_From Gwilym: It won’t be fun without you. I miss you. Wish you were here._

The words bounced around in Ben’s head as he got ready for bed. He thought about them as he groomed his wings a bit. They hovered over him as he curled up under his blankets.

_I miss you._

_Wish you were here._

That’s just what you said when your friend wasn’t with you, right? It didn’t mean anything…of course it didn’t mean anything. He was stupid to think it meant anything.

It was stupid, stupid, stupid.

~o0o~

_Joe: got me a new man_

_*1 attachment_

_Ben: who’s that ugly chap?_

_Joe: whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t be jealous Benny. Cardboard Ben is just here to keep me company on the long cold nights._

_Rami: he’s carrying it with him everywhere we go. Trevor is just about to explode. It’s hilarious._

_Joe: I’m not doing anything but shoving his discrimination back in his face._

_Rami: Damn straight_

_Gwil: I like how you set it up right next to him whenever we enter a room._

_Joe: Cardboard Ben is the most beautiful thing in the room and he’s just butthurt than we all didn’t agree with his outdated bullshit. Fuck him_

_Ben: Be nice Joe_

_Gwil: Nah, Joe’s right. Fuck him_

_Rami: Yeah, fuck him_

_Ben: Aw thanks guys. I always knew I could count on you to hate people for me <3_

_Gwil: Anytime_

_Gwil: Also, you’re way more beautiful than Cardboard Ben._

_Joe: Stop talking trash about my man_


End file.
